The Confidence Within
by Jade Dupree
Summary: CJ gets a mysterious phone call at ‘The Stand’ from a young woman who needs a confidence boost.


Title: The Confidence Within by Jade Dupree

Author: Jade (Jade Dupree)

Rating: K+

Show: Dawson's Creek

Genre: Not For Sure. If anything, I would say slightly Romantic.

Type: Standalone

Pairing: CJ/Original Character

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the show's main characters in this story; they all belong to their respectful owners. Natalie does belong to me; she is the character I created for this fan fic. This is just for kicks. It is a short story I came up with a while ago. This is a one-shot fan fic about C.J. from Dawson's Creek.

Author's Comments: I wrote this Fan Fiction after seeing a clip of DC on YouTube The clip had Jen being a little mean, so that is why her character isn't really the way she should be. Please forgive me for that, I never saw DC & only saw that clip because I wanted to see who CJ was. I hope you enjoy it. Please read & review. Thank you.

**The Confidence Within**

She sat on a bench a crossed the street. She watched him as he went about his work at the "Stand". He went by the name C.J. & was leaning against a desk, speaking to the blonde girl, Jen, who also worked there.

She bit into her lip. She heard he was someone good to talk to about problems. But she was afraid she'd call & get Jen. Not that she had anything against the girl. It was just, she knew things about Jen & didn't think she could help her with the problems she was having. And she really just needed someone to listen to her, no sudden judgments, no smart comments, or anything like that. Okay, so she had walked into Jen at school & Jen had made her feel about the size of an ant for accidentally bumping into her.

With a heavy sigh, she got up & walked to the payphone. She closed the sliding glass door, locked it & then took out the paper with the "Stand's" number on it. Carefully she dialed & waited.

She watched C.J. motion for Jen to pick up the phone. Jen grabbed it up.

" Hello?" Jen said into the receiver.

She quickly hung up & walked out of the phone booth. She took a sit on the bench again, staring down at her feet.

**

* * *

**

Jen pulled the phone from her ear with a sigh.

" What is it?" C.J. asked.

" They hung up," she said replacing the phone. " I hate when they do that."

C.J. smiled some. " So I've noticed."

" Oh shut up," Jen said with a smirk.

C.J. laughed as the clock on the wall chimed.

" Quitting time."

" Leaving early today Jen?"

" Yeah, I told Joey I would catch a movie with her," Jen said with a shrug. " So, you get to close by yourself this one time tonight."

C.J. shook his head with a smile as Jen left. He went around cleaning up a few odds & ends around the workstations.

**

* * *

**

She watched as Jen walked down the block, before she got up & walked back to the payphone. Once again, she dialed the number & waited.

C.J. was just about to turn the lights off when the phone rang. He looked at & remembered the hung up call from a few minutes go. He walked back to the desk & picked up the phone.

" Hello?"

She bit into her lip as she not only watched him, but also heard him speak. " Um… hi."

He took a seat. " I'm C.J. & no, you don't have to tell me your name. I just find it helps those I talk to if they at least know my name."

" I know you, C.J.," she said softly. " And it does help."

" You know me?" he asked with curiosity.

" Yeah, from school. I heard you were someone good to talk to about problems."

" Well, I try," he replied gently. " Want to tell me what's on your mind?"

" People don't like me."

" Now, I doubt that."

" No, really," she said insistently. " They really don't like me."

C.J. took out a piece of paper & grabbed a near by pen. He wrote down what she said.

" Why do you think people don't like you?"

" Because I'm shy & quiet," she sighed some. " I… I don't make friends easily & when I do… well, they tend to forget about me."

" I see," C.J. said quietly. " You aren't shy or quiet with me."

" We aren't talking face to face."

" And if we were?"

" I'd be mumbling something stupid & staring at my feet."

" Why? I wouldn't bite. Well, not unless you wanted me too," he said with a smile, hoping to make her laugh.

She smiled some & he heard it in her voice as she spoke. " Maybe not, C.J., but years of experience have taught me that people really don't like me talking. I'm an outsider, the strange girl in the room. The one everyone makes fun off because she has to wear the same clothes she wore the year before."

C.J. listened quietly.

" They don't know how it hurts. Its not my fault my family can't afford me a new designer wardrobe for school," she covers her mouth to catch her breath. " I'm sorry."

" No, don't be," he spoke up softly. " That's what I'm here for. To listen & to try to help."

She looked at him, sitting at the desk with his back to her. She sighed some.

C.J. suddenly had the feeling he wasn't alone. Slowly he glanced around the room, and then finally slowly turned to look out the window. She turned her back to him in the exact same moment.

" I just wish I knew what to do," she whispered. " To get them to just stop being so mean to me."

" I know this will be hard for you, but you are going to have to stand up for yourself. You'll have to come out of your comfort zone & make a stand if you want people to respect you instead of pick on ya."

" I knew you were going to say something like that," she said with a slight smile.

" Well, then take the advice & do something with your situation. If you still want to talk, I'm here for you," he told her softly. " Just call in, ask for C.J. & I will be just a few moments away."

" They were right, you are a good person to talk to, C.J."

" Thanks. Hey, before you go, may I ask you something?"

" Sure."

" What's your name?"

She looks up some, C.J. watching her without really know it.

" Maybe next time," she whispers. " Talk to you soon. Bye C.J."

With that she hung up & walked out of the phone booth. He hung up his phone & watched a girl with raven hair walk away into the night, before he sighed.

**

* * *

**

**At School The Next Day**

C.J. sat looking over notes with Jen. They are talking back & forth about everything when he got up.

" Hey I'm gonna go grab a soda. Want one?"

" Sure, thanks C.J.," Jen said with a smile.

C.J. smiled back & then headed to the vending machine. Just as he was about to put his quarter in, he heard a girl's laugh.

" Well, well look who we have here, girls," the Captain of the cheerleaders sneered.

" Why I believe its little Natie," another said.

" My name is Natalie," the girl that was surround by the cheerleaders said. " If you haven't learned that after 4 months of school you might wanna tell your parents to get a refund. Cause obviously something isn't working for ya."

" Is she smarting off to us?" the cheerleader asked.

" I think she is," the Captain replied with a smirk. " Like it will do any good."

" Yeah, well I wouldn't worry to much about that," Natalie said. " I'd worry about that enormous zit that is forming on your nose."

The Captain's eyes widen. " What?!"

" Oh yeah, its right there," Natalie said. " But hey, I'm sure no one will notice. It not like you are graded on your looks… are you?"

The cheerleaders all looked at each other & then hurried off. Natalie pulled her book pack over her shoulder & walked to the soda machine where C.J. stood watching her.

" Excuse me, are you getting a soda?" she asked.

" Yeah."

" Then can you get yours so I can get mine?" she smiled some at him.

" Oh yeah, sure," he said getting two sodas before stepping out of her way.

Natalie walked up & got one for herself. C.J. continued to watch her. She turned & caught his stare.

" Yeah?"

" You remind me of someone."

" I hope it's a good memory."

" Yeah it is," C.J. answered softly. " About a girl who was afraid to stand up to her bullies."

" Sounds like she needs some confidence."

" Yeah, right."

Natalie smiled at him & then walked past him. She stopped & turned back.

" Well, like I was told & said, you're someone good to talk to when there are problems."

C.J. whirled around to look at her. She smiled some.

" Is now a next time?" he asked softly.

" Natalie," she replied. " See you around, C.J."

He watched her walk away again, but with a smile now. He had her name & she had her confidence. And just maybe, something could become of that.


End file.
